Container



Nov. 18, 1958 DUEMLER 2,860,814

' CONTAINER Filed May 24, 1955 FIGZ.

INVENTORS ROBERT E DUEMLER BY Z ATTORNEYS United States Patent CONTAINER Application May 24,1955, Serial No. 510,613 2 Claims. (Cl. 22060) The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved air-tight metal container for soluble coffee or other dry powder-like substances that will be unbreakable and less expensive than glass or metal containers now available to the trade, because essentially it is a conventional tin can with a plastic material, e. g., polyethylene rescaling cover packed inside the container. After the can has been opened with the usual rotary can opener, the plastic rescaling cover is readily available to continue the sealing of the contents, which need not be removed from the now opened can.

Two types of containers are usually now available to the trade for this purpose, namely, (1) a glass bottle or jar with a relatively large neck and opening which uses a screw cap as a closure, the opening in the bottle or jar being provided with a special sealed-on paper disc which makes the bottle or jar air-tight until this paper seal is broken, and the said opening in the bottle or jar being large enough to permit dispensing the contents by dipping out with a teaspoon or tablespoon; the screw cap is used also to cover and make the bottle or jar air-tight between uses; and (2) the conventional side seamed, coated and lithographed or labeled tinned sheet metal container with special top end and conventional bottom end double seamed on, the special top end being a sheet metal ring with a relatively large opening which is seamed-on the top end of the container over a special paper disc, which makes the container air-tight until the paper seal is broken, and the container is covered with a low-in-height interrupted screw-type screw cap or cover which has a flowedin gasket which seals the can around the top seam on the seamed-on ring to make the container doubly air-tight; this screw cap or cover is used after the paper disc is torn out, to keep the container air-tight between uses.

While the glass type container enjoys wide usefulness, 1) it is breakable, (2) it requires the use of a paper label, embossing on the bottle or jar, or special printing on the glass for advertisement, description of contents, etc., (3) it is made of thick material, requiring more shipping and storing space, and (4) its cost is frequently considered excessive, and this may be also true, in some cases, of the usual metal type container.

The container of this invention (1) is unbreakable, (2) can be lithographed, (3) is made of thin tinned steel, which requires less shipping and storing space, (4) is cheaper in cost, and (5) is more air-tight and the contents have longer shelf life because the added reusable plastic cover, as packed in the container, forms a sealing aid. This cover may, of course, have other uses.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view partly broken away;

Figure 2 is a sectional view;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the reusable closure applied to the container;

Figure 4 is a section showing the reusable closure applied to the container; and

2,860,814 Patented Nov. 18, 1958 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the reusable closures Referring to the drawing the numeral 10 indicates the usual conventional side seamed can with seamed-on ends 11 at the top and 12 at the bottom. Such cans are used for soluble coffee or other dry powder-like substances. The end 11 is opened to make the contents available, as shown in Figure 4, and for this purpose, the usual rotary can opener is employed, which opener bends the marginal edge of the end 11 downwardly against the wall of the container, as shown at 12 in Figure 4. Thus, the container, when opened, may be covered with a reusable cover illustrated at 13, and which, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is packed in the container in inverted position either resting on the contents 14 or upon a circumferentially, inwardly extending projection 15, as shown. The fact that the can will be opened with the conventional rotary can opener and covered with a reusable plastic cover between subsequent uses is highly desirable for packaging soluble coffee and other dry powder-like substances in order to preserve the same against chemical action and retain the freshness of the product.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the packing of the plastic cover 13 within the top of the can acts as a sealing aid since it covers the entire area of the container,

between the supporting means 15.

Referring to Figure 5, the cover 13 of plastic material, such as polyethylene or other preferably non-toxic plastic material, is in one piece and has a top 16 and a depending skirt 17. The skirt 17 is provided with the cut-out portions 18 extending from the free edge 19 of the skirt up to a point 20 sufficiently below the top so that when the cap is applied to reseal a container, as shown in Figure 4, the continuous, circumferential skirt area 21 will form a tight reseal. The cut-out portions 18 allow the cap to be compacted and fit neatly in the can, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and when the cap is used as a reseal, these cut-out portions permit the cap to engage over the seam 22, as shown in Figure 4, to form a tight reseal.

While I have referred to a side-seamed metal can, it

will be understood the invention is useful with containers of other materials and devoid of side seams.

Also, instead of polyethylene, other plastic materials may be used which, in the case of foodstufis, medicines, etc., are not toxic anddo not impart taste, odor or color to the contents and are not attacked by the contents.

The recesses or cut-outs 18 may be of any desired form to allow the skirt to collapse, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and expand to form a good reseal, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

I claim:

1. A container having a closure and a reseal closure removably carried within the container and useable to replace the first closure, wherein the reseal closure is made of plastic material and has a top and a skirt, the skirt having recesses formed therein extending from the free edge of the skirt upwardly to below the top of the cap whereby the skirt adjacent the top has a continuous circumferential sealing portion.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said plastic material is polyethylene.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

